Trump announces he’s installing himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center
Trump announces he’s installing himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center
Share:
President said current chairman David Rubenstein doesn’t share his vision, and complained about ‘drag shows’ at the center. President Donald Trump said Friday that he will install himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center as well as dismiss several board members. Trump, who has no experience managing a performance center, said on Truth Social that he would “immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”.
“We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP,” he added. The plan was initially reported by The Atlantic before Trump posted the message. The current chair is financier and philanthropist David Rubenstein, who has been at the helm of the center for over a decade. His retirement in January of this year had been announced previously, but following Trump’s election, the center said he would remain in the role until September 2026.
Rubenstein was appointed by President George W. Bush and has had former President Joe Biden at one of his homes. But he has also had a relationship with Trump, who spoke with him for a book about presidents published last year. Several board members told The Times that they had been unaware that Trump’s announcement was coming. One board member appointed by Biden got an email telling them they had been removed from Sergio Gor, the head of Trump’s personnel office, according to the paper.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position on the Board of The Kennedy Center is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service,” the email stated, bearing the subject line: “An Update from the White House.”. The center said in a statement to the paper on Friday evening that it had not been told of Trump’s plans to uproot its leadership. However, it noted that some board members had been told of their termination.
“Per the Center’s governance established by Congress in 1958, the chair of the board of trustees is appointed by the center’s board members,” the statement said. “There is nothing in the center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board.”. Facing criticism from some honorees in his first term, Trump refused to attend the Kennedy Center Honors. Trump’s plan to bring the board closer under his control would go against years of bipartisanship.
The board has 36 members and has recently been divided evenly by Democrats and Republicans. Board members are appointed to terms lasting six years. Biden filled a dozen vacancies on the board in the last few weeks of his time in the White House, appointing former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Mike Donilon, his political strategist. The board is currently split about evenly between board members appointed by Biden and Trump.
